Daily Archives: January 30, 2016
‘Criminalising fishermen is one of the most appalling things any Government or body could do to its own people.’
THE criminalisation of fishermen who are simply trying to make a living has got to stop, according to Cllr Michael Collins. The independent councillor tabled a motion calling on the Minister for the Marine, Simon Coveney, to change the laws that are currently being challenged in the High Court. Speaking at Monday’s meeting of the Western Committee of Cork County Council, Cllr Collins pointed out that two brothers – the owner and the skipper of the Tea Rose trawler that operates out of Castletownbere – are in the process of testing the legality of the Domestic Points Regulations system, which was introduced under the Common Fisheries Policy. Read the rest here 18:17
Marine Sanctuaries – Abrolhos Islands fishing ban fails to boost fish population, study finds
Creating a no-take fishing zone in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands has not consistently boosted the populations of some of its most popular fish, a long-term study has found. The research by a group of West Australian scientists challenges the conventional wisdom that marine sanctuaries allow more and bigger fish to flourish. It also raises the possibility that poachers or environmental factors — such as the marine heatwave that affected the area several years ago — are also affecting the populations of fish which are supposed to be protected,,, Read the article here 16:37
In Court – FFAW questions fishermen’s reading skills in compensation agreement trial
More questions are being raised about the line of questioning during an ongoing trial involving a group of fishermen from the Northern Peninsula and the FFAW. A group of fishermen, including Conway Caines, are in court arguing their right to compensation, but the line of questioning from the FFAW’s lawyers has ruffled a few feathers. Jason Sullivan told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly that questioning a person’s ability to read and understand the written word should not be brought into question. Listen, Read the rest here 13:32
Western Pacific – NMFS allows longliners to fish within 12 miles from shore
In a decision issued today, the US National Marine Fisheries Service has allowed locally based longliners to fish within 12 miles from shore. The federal agency approved a recommendation by the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council to amend the Large vessel Prohibited Area, (LVPA) which currently restircts longliners to fish 50 miles out. Read the rest here – American Samoa wants to be part of fish negotiations Read the rest here Pago Pago feels the effects of idle fishing boats Read the rest here 12:04
Rare orange lobster unexpectedly found in Iowa!
Hy-Vee workers made an unusual discovery in their perishable distribution center — a rare orange lobster. The female lobster weighed in at about 2.7 pounds. She was discovered in a recent shipment of seafood brought to the Hy-Vee center. Hy-Vee spokeswoman Tara Deering-Hansen said they are exploring options for a permanent home for the lobster nicknamed R.C. They are looking for a place where she will be well cared for and possibly be on display for the public to see. Read the post here 11:12
Port Clyde lobsterman recounts how he rescued fellow fishermen
A Port Clyde fisherman is being credited with saving the lives of two fellow lobstermen after their boat caught fire four miles south of Port Clyde. Gerry Cushman was out on the water Thursday morning at around 10 a.m. when he heard a distress call from the Miss Lynn. The mayday call said there was an engine fire. Cushman realized he was only about three miles away from the boat and he rushed to the area. Video, read the rest here
Halibut commission boosts coast-wide catch limit
The International Pacific Halibut Commission Friday approved an increase in halibut catch limits for most of the coast. The joint U.S. and Canadian body oversees management of the prized bottom fish from California to Alaska. The commission held its annual meeting in Juneau last week. Commissioners approved a coast-wide catch of just under 30 million pounds for 2016. That’s an increase of two point two percent from last year’s limits. Commissioner chair Jim Balsiger of Juneau said the decisions were not easy to make. Read the post here 09:59
Maine Shrimp Hitting Market Thanks to Spawning Study
Despite a moratorium on the northern Maine shrimp fishing season for the third consecutive year, a few wholesale buyers, restaurants, and markets could have some Maine shrimp on their hands — and plates — this winter, due to a scientific study currently underway throughout the state.,, As part of the program, four shrimp trawlers and two trappers are collecting northern shrimp samples for biologists until mid-April, in order to study the timing of the egg hatch and the size, gender and developmental stage of the shrimp. Those shrimp not used for the sample are allowed to be sold. The sampling program allows participating fishermen to land a total of just over 48,500 pounds of shrimp from the Gulf of Maine. Read the post here 09:04
SouthCoast sector managers detail fishing costs
Managers of area fishery sectors on Friday said many local groundfish boats could face daily charges of $125 or less-frequent charges of about $500, to pay for government-mandated monitoring of their catches. Sector 9 manager Stephanie Rafael-DeMello and Sector 13 manager John Haran both said they negotiated with East West Technical Services, which has an office in Narragansett, R.I., for catch-monitoring services for which fishermen expect to begin paying around March 1. Rafael-DeMello said the negotiated price was “just under $500 a day,” per boat. But because regulators randomly select boats for monitoring, she said, Sector 9 will spread the cost evenly, charging boats a flat rate of $125 per sea day in order to foot the overall costs of monitoring, which will apply only to about 20 percent of trips. Read the article here 08:49
